Prepared by a leading Kennedy scholar, this volume is the most definitive and up-to-date bibliography on Kennedy. Unlike the earlier efforts of the 1970s and early 1980s, it covers the primary sources on Kennedy and his presidency, including letters and other manuscript material, oral histories, and both published and unpublished government documents. It also contains the scholarly secondary literature including books, articles, and unpublished doctoral dissertations and masters theses on the Kennedy era. Finally, it includes most of the contemporary articles from various magazines and journals.

No other publication contains an array of sources on Kennedy and his presidency as comprehensive and detailed as this volume. The sources are annotated with descriptive or evaluative statements. Having perused the vast majority of the publications covered, the author also suggests the work that still needs to be done on Kennedy and his presidency.